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Costa Coffee’s Winning Strategy

Stephanie MorrisonAugust 12, 2024

As the world’s eyes turned to Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games, Costa Coffee used Ripples technology to brew up an unforgettable experience in the heart of the Olympic Village.

The Official Worldwide Coffee Partner for the Olympic Games, Costa Coffee’s presence during the games was perfectly targeted to the Gen Z athletes staying in the Village, a 360 degree engagement opportunity including everything from free coffee to “incredibly competitive” espresso races, and custom cappuccino art created with the Ripple Maker drink printer

Word of the custom cappuccinos at Costa Coffee spread across the village.

And across the Internet – multiple social media posts about the experience garnered more than 1 million views apiece

Costa Coffee used the Ripple Maker to give athletes an opportunity to celebrate moments of achievement, print and drink selfieccinos, and their loved ones back home. And, as the New York Times observed, “many competitors have chosen pets not people.”

The engagement was overwhelming, with thousands of personalized drinks crafted and shared online throughout the three-week event, and countless social media shares. 

The International Olympics Committee has strict guidelines on how athletes and sponsors can share about the competition, but Costa’s innovative brand activation  was so successful it was impossible to tell from the outside – we just saw the fun. Costa’s activation with their branded Ripples selfieccino machine resonated with athletes and won them huge organic brand reach during the games.

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